U.S. patent number 7,337,859 [Application Number 10/537,554] was granted by the patent office on 2008-03-04 for method and device for drilling a channel.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Tracto-technik GmbH. Invention is credited to Andreas Riekes, Gerhard Volkel.
United States Patent |
7,337,859 |
Volkel , et al. |
March 4, 2008 |
Method and device for drilling a channel
Abstract
In a drilling method for creating a channel leading from
surrounding soil into a shaft which is separated from the soil by a
wall, a channel is drilled through the soil from a starting pit in
the direction of the shaft using a first drill head. The first
drill head continues to drill in this direction in order to create
a breach in the wall, and a second drill head is then used in the
shaft to widen the breach in the wall by drilling in the opposite
direction with the second drill head.
Inventors: |
Volkel; Gerhard (Erndtebruck,
DE), Riekes; Andreas (Schmallenberg, DE) |
Assignee: |
Tracto-technik GmbH
(Lennestadt, DE)
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Family
ID: |
32336138 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/537,554 |
Filed: |
December 5, 2003 |
PCT
Filed: |
December 05, 2003 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/EP03/13789 |
371(c)(1),(2),(4) Date: |
June 28, 2005 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO2004/053285 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
June 24, 2004 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20060060383 A1 |
Mar 23, 2006 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Dec 6, 2002 [DE] |
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102 57 392 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
175/53; 175/62;
405/154.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21B
7/046 (20130101); E21B 7/28 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E21B
7/04 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;175/53,62
;405/138,154.1,174,303 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Bagnell; David
Assistant Examiner: Stephenson; Daniel P
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Feiereisen; Henry M. Day; Ursula
B.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A drilling method for creating an underground channel to a
shaft, said method comprising the following steps: drilling a
channel through soil from a starting pit in a direction of the
shaft using a first drill head, drilling through a wall of the
shaft in said direction with the first drill head to create a
breach in the wall, changing from the first drill head to a second
drill head or drill arrangement in the shaft, and widening the
breach in the wall by drilling in the opposite direction with the
second drill head, wherein the widening step is terminated upon
reaching a surface of the wall located outside in relation to an
interior of the shaft.
2. The drilling method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising
the step of retracting the second drill head into the shaft after
termination of the widening step.
3. The drilling method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising
the step of providing a transmitter on at least one of the first
drill head and the second drill head to emit a position signal to a
receiver, and controlling drilling parameters as a function of the
position signal received by the receiver.
4. The drilling method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising
the step of lining the breach in the wall after the widening
step.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first drilling step involves
the step of drilling a channel for a house service connection.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method and a device for drilling a
channel that leads from the soil into a shaft surrounded by a wall,
the invention claiming priority of German patent application 102 57
392.1, to whose content reference is made.
Two different methods for installing house service connections are
described in DE 198 20 483 C1. First, a method is described in
which a controllable drill head is used to establish a channel for
a house service connection from a starting pit, located outside the
house, to a target pit adjacent to the outside of the outer wall of
the house. The breach in the outer wall is produced with a separate
concrete drill device such as a drill hammer or drill saw.
DE 198 20 483 C1 describes an innovation in the form of a method in
which a breach is first made through the outer wall from the
direction of the inside of the house, using a drill bit to drill
through the concrete outer wall, and, after a change of tools, a
channel for a house service connection is established, in the soil
surrounding the house, using a drill head whose course is
controlled.
Both methods are complicated. In one method, difficult excavation
work has to be carried out to form a target pit, and, in the second
method, the entire equipment needed to drive the drill head forward
on a controlled course has to be accommodated in the house
cellar.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object here is to make available a method which is
easy to carry out and creates a channel leading from the soil into
a shaft surrounded by a wall, and also to make available a device
suitable for this method.
The invention is based on the concept of initially using a first
drill head to create a channel leading from the starting pit into
the shaft, the drill head preferably being designed in such a way
that it can both create a channel in the soil and also breach a
wall. In most cases, the breach created in this way in the wall
has, in its emergence area, an uneven and often arbitrary shape.
For connection of channel pipes, it is generally necessary to
re-work this breach in the wall. It is therefore proposed,
according to the invention, to replace the first drill head with a
second drill head on the drilling device used, and to drill counter
to the original direction of advance, at least for the area of the
masonry. Thus, by suitable choice of the second drill head, a
breach with the desired shape and size can be created in the
wall.
The method according to the invention further affords the advantage
that a wall breach of small cross section can first of all be
created in the wall by means of the first drill head. This breach
can be created with less torque than in the case of a large breach.
The subsequent widening of the breach in the wall to a larger cross
section can then likewise be done with less torque. Thus, in the
method according to the invention, a drilling device can be used
which generates only a low maximum torque.
The method according to the invention also affords the advantage,
for example in use in sewage shafts, that a breach in the shaft
wall can be created without using an explosion-proof drill driver
inside the shaft. The components introduced into the shaft can then
pose no risk of explosion.
Breaches in shaft walls or room walls must in some cases be lined
with specific sealing materials. In most cases, the breach in the
wall itself therefore has to have a larger cross section than the
pipe that is to be guided through the breach. With the method
according to the invention, it is now possible to create an earth
channel of small cross section adapted to the pipe to be passed
through, and only to widen the wall breach to the cross section
adapted for the additional materials that are to be introduced. In
this way, it is possible to avoid forming the entire earth channel
with a cross section larger than is necessary for the pipe.
The present invention can be used to create a channel leading from
the soil into a shaft surrounded by a wall. A channel is understood
as meaning, in particular, any free space created in a more solid
environment by drilling equipment. In particular, a channel is a
free space with a round cross section. The channel can be used to
receive pipelines, cables and other elongate bodies. For example,
reinforcements can also be introduced into the channel. Likewise,
the channel can be filled with a solid or solidifying material, for
example in order to strengthen the more solid environment.
A shaft is understood as meaning a free space which is surrounded
by a wall and which has channels leading to and away from it. In
particular, a shaft is a connection shaft for pipelines, for
example of the kind installed under streets, for example for
removing waste water or for guiding gas conduits, telecommunication
lines and other forms of communication lines. A shaft within the
meaning of this invention is also understood, in particular, as
including a space in a house, in particular a cellar.
Soil is understood in the general sense of this word, but, for the
purposes of the present invention, also as an area underneath the
soil surface which has liquid or unfilled sections, and any solid,
pourable or viscous material underneath the soil surface or in
comparable composition and arrangement above the soil surface.
A wall is understood in particular as any piling of material
created specifically to delimit the shaft. In particular, a wall is
also intended to include masonry formed from assembled individual
parts, for example stones. A wall may also be a room boundary cast
from a material such as concrete or plastic, for example.
For the purposes of illustrating this invention, a starting pit can
also be a starting position on the soil surface.
According to the invention, the channel to be created is initially
produced from a starting pit using a first drill head which is
driven forward in the direction of the target shaft. The starting
pit can in this case be a specially excavated pit. However, the
starting pit used can also be, for example, another shaft (starting
shaft).
Particularly when drilling from a starting shaft, it may be
expedient first of all to use another drill head to breach a wall
surrounding said shaft.
The creation of the channel by means of the first drill head takes
place in particular according to the horizontal drilling methods
that are well known in practice. In this case, the first drill head
can be designed to move forward by itself, for example, or to be
driven forward by a rod. The first drill head can be a controllable
drill head, for example with an asymmetrical drill head geometry
and a control surface. It can be designed as a percussion drill
head. The drill head preferably has adapters for receiving a pipe
that is to be introduced into the channel to be created, so that
the pipe is drawn by the forwardly driven drill head directly into
the channel formed.
Forward drilling is particularly preferred, preferably using drill
heads with a front cutter geometry.
On reaching the outer face of the wall surrounding the shaft, the
drill head is driven further forward and creates a breach through
the masonry.
The first drill head can then be replaced or supplemented in the
shaft by a second drill head. In the case of a drill head driven by
rods, the first drill head can be released from the drill rod, and
the second drill head can be connected to the rod. In this case,
the second drill head is preferably designed in such a way that it
is suitable for drilling by being pulled by a rod. The second drill
head can then be driven forward through the breach in the wall,
counter to the direction in which the first drill head was driven
through, and in so doing it is able to widen this breach. Widening
is understood in particular as an enlargement of the cross section.
However, widening, within the meaning of the invention, can also
include the re-working of the peripheral edges of the breach in the
wall. These edges can be smoothed by grinding, or the shape of the
breach in the wall can be re-worked or leveled out. This
leveling-out is necessary, in particular, if prefabricated
connection elements are intended to be inserted into the breach in
the wall.
A core hole drill is preferably used as the second drill head. The
drilling in the opposite direction with the second drill head is
preferably terminated upon reaching that surface of the wall
located toward the outside in relation to the interior of the
shaft. In this way, the drilling with the second drill can be
reduced, thus resulting, in particular, in savings both in time and
energy. However, the drilling with the second drill head can be
terminated even before reaching that surface of the wall located
toward the outside in relation to the interior of the shaft, for
example if only that area of the wall breach lying to the inside of
the shaft is to be re-worked. Likewise, the drilling with the
second drill head can also be terminated well behind that surface
of the wall located toward the outside in relation to the interior
of the shaft, for example if a connection element extending beyond
the wall cross section is to be inserted into the breach in the
wall.
The second drill head is recovered in a simple way by being guided
back into the shaft upon termination of the drilling with the
second drill head.
Targeted guidance of the drill head, in particular for aiming it
precisely at the point where the wall breach is to be created, is
achieved if a transmitter on the first drill head and/or a further
transmitter on the second drill head emits a position signal, and
the drilling parameters are regulated as a function of the position
signal received by a receiver.
One drilling parameter is, in particular, the orientation of an
asymmetrical drill head provided with a control surface.
The breach in the wall enlarged by the second drill head is
preferably lined. In this way, for example, the pipe inserted into
the shaft can be insulated or can be connected to the wall.
Moreover, connection pieces or prefabricated pipe attachments, for
example, can be inserted into the enlarged breach in the wall.
According to the invention, a drilling system is also proposed, in
particular for carrying out the aforementioned method, comprising a
drill slide, a drill rod and two drill heads, in which the first
drill head is designed to advance by being pushed by the rod, and
the second drill head is designed to advance by being pulled by the
rod, said second drill head being designed to create a larger cross
section of the drilled hole.
According to the invention, a drill slide is understood in
particular as any drive unit for a drill head designed to drive the
drill head forward. In particular, a drill slide comprises a pusher
unit which can be connected to a free end of a drill rod section
and with which the drill rod section can be driven forward.
In order to provide a smooth edge when drilling through masonry,
the second drill head is preferably designed with a large number of
contact points on the drilling surface. Contact points are
understood here as points on the drilling surface which are formed
protruding therefrom and which are first to come into engagement
with the material that is to be drilled through. With an increasing
number of these contact points, the force applied by the drill head
into the material to be drilled through is distributed to a
plurality of points. This prevents substantial forces being applied
at a small number of points, which would otherwise cause spalling.
Spalling is understood as meaning when, during drilling, large
pieces of material split off from the material that is to be
drilled through.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a
drawing. Illustrative embodiments of the invention are set out in
this drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of the means used to carry
out the method according to the invention,
FIG. 2 shows an enlarged representation of the detail indicated in
FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 shows a cutaway side view of core hole drilling as part of
the method according to the invention,
FIG. 4 shows a cutaway side view of a first method step in a
further embodiment of the method according to the invention,
FIG. 5 shows a cutaway side view of a second method step in the
further embodiment of the method according to the invention,
and
FIG. 6 shows a cutaway side view of a third method step in the
further embodiment of the method according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A starting shaft 1 and a cellar 2, which represents the target
shaft, are shown in FIG. 1. A drill slide 3 is arranged in the
starting shaft 1. With this drill slide 3, rod sections 4 are
pushed into the channel 5 created in the soil surrounding the
starting shaft 1. The rod sections 4 are connected to one another.
As can be seen from FIG. 2, the frontmost rod section 4 is
connected to a drill head 6. A torque can be applied to the drill
head 6 by the rod sections 4, and said drill head 6 can be rotated
about the forward drive axis.
To create the channel 5 between the starting shaft 1 and the cellar
2, the drill head is driven into the soil surrounding the starting
shaft 1, by means of the rod sections 4 driven by the drill slide
3, and it creates the channel 5 in said soil. Upon reaching the
surface of the wall 7 located toward the outside in relation to the
cellar, the drill head 6 is driven further forward and creates the
breach 8 in the wall as shown in FIG. 2. This breach exhibits
irregularities of shape and spalling. Following the first breach of
the wall 7, the drill head 6 is replaced in the cellar by a drill
head 9. The latter is designed to create a smooth drilled hole in a
wall and is able to produce a wall breach having a greater cross
section than the wall breach created with the drill head 6. This
drill head 9 is guided by pulling the rods back in the direction of
advance counter to that of the first drill head 6, and it creates,
in the wall 7, a breach with a regular shape and with the desired
cross section (cf. FIG. 3).
Retaining the same reference numbers for identical components,
FIGS. 4 to 6 show a further embodiment of the method according to
the invention. This embodiment is characterized by the fact that a
core hole is also drilled in the starting shaft 1 in order to
create a breach in the wall 20 surrounding the starting shaft 1.
This breach can be created with the second drill head 9.
The second drill head 9 is then replaced by the first drill head 6,
and a pilot bore is created from the starting shaft 1 to a target
shaft 21. In doing so, the drill head 6 creates a breach through
the wall 22 surrounding the target shaft 21 (cf. FIG. 5).
Following this, the drill head 6 is replaced in the target shaft 21
by a drill head 9. The latter is designed to create a smooth
drilled hole in a wall and is able to produce a wall breach having
a greater cross section than the wall breach created with the drill
head 6. This drill head 9 is guided by pulling the rods back in the
direction of advance counter to that of the first drill head 6, and
it creates, in the wall 22, a breach with a regular shape and with
the desired cross section (cf. FIG. 6).
* * * * *